Onceler Upon a Time
by BrunetteWeasley13
Summary: Why does Grammy Norma know so much about the Once-ler?


Authors Note: Obviously I do not own _The Lorax_. I just like to play. Not quite a full lemon but a little more than a lime. Enjoy.

Once-ler Upon a Time

The Once-ler saw her for the first time when he had just given up all hope of selling his damned thneed. He tossed the pink knitted mess away, and it landed on a thin girl in overalls sitting on a park bench. At first it covered her face, but as she pushed it up and away, it perched on her head in the most adorable way. She shook her head to reorient herself, and her strawberry blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders and framed her glowing face. She blushed faintly and gazed up at him. _Well, she can just keep it_. He thought bitterly turning his back on the girl as a group of teenagers converged on her probably to mock her like they had him for the past few days.

A few hours later…

When people showed up at his house in hoards that evening, he focused solely on providing them with the thneeds they shouted for. As the rush of people died down and he handed over the last thneed he had in his limited first batch, he quickly shut the door behind him. _Who knew being successful could be so tiring? _He collapsed on his bed clutching his newly earned money in his hands. He was just about to doze off when a knock sounded at the door.

"I don't have any more theeds left. I'm sorry. Come back again later!" he called as he stuffed his money under his pillow and rolled over to get more comfortable.

"I'm not here for a thneed. I, well, I just wanted to talk," a soft but sweet voice responded. Perplexed the Once-ler hoisted himself out of bed and went to the door. When he pulled it open, there stood the beautiful girl from the park bench who had accidentally made him a smashing success. She still had the pink thneed around her neck.

"Hi! I'm Norma. I hope I am not disturbing you," she said with a brilliant smile.

"No, of course not. Do you want to come in?" he asked, overjoyed but perplexed by her presence.

"Okay," she answered pushing a wisp of shining hair behind her ear. As she breezed by him into his small house, he swore he smelled cupcakes. She moved to the middle of the room and made a quick circle. "So, this is where the inventor of the oh-so-brilliant thneed lives." She removed the thneed from her neck and dropped it back by the door.

"Well, considering how popular they are I will probably be making some improvements soon," he explained. He began to describe for her how he would expand the kitchen, add an office, and possibly even a second floor. She listened attentively, but when he finished, she only sighed.

"You know I like it how it is now," she commented as she plopped herself down on his bed. "It's very homey." He felt himself blush at the sight of her on his bed. He cleared his throat trying to think of anything but how soft her skin must feel.

"Are you hungry?" he finally stammered.

"Yes. Do you cook?"

"Not really, but I can make pancakes," he offered.

"Pancakes sound perfect," she answered, slipping off his bed and moving to the small kitchen to help.

They worked together playfully. She giggled when he dropped an egg. He laughed when she tried to push her hair out of her face but only smeared batter across her forehead. He piled a batch of finished pancakes on a plate and turned to set them on the kitchen table. When he turned, he let out a yelp and dropped the plate. The Lorax was perched on his table. As the pancakes fell to the floor, a mass of the little furry brown barbaloots that occupied the forest converged on the food.

"Hey! How's it going?" The Lorax asked brushing his mustache with a toothbrush.

"Can you please make your presence known the next time you just waltz in here?" The Once-ler practically growled. He felt her hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right," said Norma. "We have plenty of batter left, and look how cute these little guys are!" She bent down to the smallest barbaloot, Pipsqueak, and ruffled the fur between his ears. The Lorax jumped down from the table and pushed by the Once-ler. He offered his hand to Norma.

"Hello, beautiful, I am the Lorax, Guardian of the Trees," he announced grandly as he placed a bushy kiss on her hand. Norma laughed.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lorax."

"Yes, it has been great seeing you," the Once-ler began as he grabbed Norma's hand and began pulling her to the door. "Since it has gotten a little crowded in here," he began, shooting an annoyed look at the Lorax and the barbaloots. "We are going for a walk." Norma barely had time to wrap her thneed back around her neck before the Once-ler closed the door behind them.

Once outside, the Once-ler led her to the nearest patch of trees, hoping for maybe a little privacy. He released Norma's hand, and she ran to one of the striped trunks. She put her hand on it gently, almost reverently. "These trees are magnificent," she whispered. She reached up and fingered her pink thneed. "So they are made from the tufts of Truffula trees?" she asked staring up at the massive fluff of what looked like cotton candy with wonder in her eyes.

"Yes," he answered.

"No wonder they are so soft," she said as she turned to him. She reached up and pulled hers from around her neck. Frist she rubbed it on her own cheek relishing in the softness. She then took a step toward him and timidly raised the thneed to his cheek. He moved forward to meet her thneed filled touch.

"I can think of something softer," he whispered as he gently pushed her hand and the thneed back to her side.

"What is that?" she asked with a smirk playing along her lips. He learned down bringing his face close to hers, and right before they kissed, he responded.

"Your lips." His lips were soft too she noticed as he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest. The theed slipped from her fingers and onto the grass as the reached her hands up to tangle in his hair causing his hat to also fall to the ground.

He gently placed her on the plush grass. He grabbed the discarded thneed and fluffed it into the shape of pillow and slipped it behind her head. "See? A thneed has many uses."

"How convenient!" she giggled before pulling him on top of her and into a passionate kiss. The Once-ler couldn't believe his good luck. He made his first profit and now this was happening, all in one day! He let himself kneel between her legs as she kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her breasts into his chest. He groaned against her mouth and pushed himself back down onto her.

"You are terribly cute," she said against his ear in a breathy voice.

"I know," he said, showing a lopsided grin. "So are you." She returned his grin with a mischievous spark in her eye as she began pushing his vest off his shoulder and tugging upwards on the hemline of his shirt. He reached for the clasps of her overalls.

Trying to simultaneously remove each other's clothing was proving too difficult so the Once-ler set back on his heels and discarded his vest and shirt. Norma sat up undoing her overalls and wriggled out of them. She let the Once-ler lift her shirt over her head as he peppered kisses on her newly exposed skin. He unhooked her bra silently, thinking knitting for giving him nimble fingers. _Nothing unmanly about knitting. _She moaned as he cupped her breasts. Her little fingers reached for the button on his pants, and soon his pants joined the rest of their clothes in a messy pile on the forest floor.

Now only their underwear separated them. The Once-ler let out a moan as she shifted her hips up so her center bumped against his growing erection. Wanting to return the favor, he dipped his head down and teased her pebble-like nipples. She sighed and slipped her fingers into his hair, clutching him to her chest. He snaked his fingers between her legs and under her panties. She gasped at the contact and soon she was writhing and whimpering in his arms.

When she came down from her high, she slipped her own tiny hand under the waistband of his underwear. Her fingertips brushed his erection. He placed a hand on either side of her head bracing himself, hovering above her. She continued her ministrations eliciting deep groans from the back of his throat. His eyes were tightly closed, and she could see his arms quiver as it took all his concentration to old himself above her. Suddenly, he shuddered, and she felt a wet warmth on her stomach. He quickly rolled off of her collapsing onto his back.

"Sorry," he gasped between quick breaths, nodding to the mess on her stomach with a flush on his cheeks that was due to more than physical exertion.

"It's no problem," she chirped grabbing the thneed and cleaning herself off. "See, like you said, it has many uses."

"So," he began when his breathing returned to normal, "You said you wanted to talk."

"What?" Norma asked as she redid the hooks of her overalls.

"When you knocked on my door, you said you wanted to talk," he said.

"Oh, yes," she blushed. "Well, mainly I just wanted a chance to talk to you, but I also wanted to thank you. Your thneed made people notice me for the first time." Norma suddenly became very preoccupied with retying her shoes.

"I noticed you before the thneed. You were sitting on that park bench. You looked beautiful, stunning, actually," he insisted.

Norma looked up under her long eyelashes. Her cheeks were pink. "Thanks," she said. "You know I am normally not so forward."

"I'm actually not either," said the Once-ler with a sheepish grin. "But, you just seem, I don't know, special." He laughed. "I'm sure that sounds dumb."

Norma crawled over kissed the corner of his mouth. "No, it sounds sweet." She then stood and brushed the grass from her clothes. "I really need to head home." The Once-ler stood with her.

"Can I see you again?" he asked.

"Of course," Norma responded before kissing him softly. "Goodbye, Oncie." She pressed her lips quickly to the trunk of the closest tree. "And goodbye, trees," she said before heading on her way, leaving a lingering smell of cupcakes in her wake.

"You know what. I like her. She respects the trees." The Once-ler nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to see the Lorax leaning against a nearby trunk.

"Would you, please, stop that?" he exclaimed. "You're going to give me heart attack, and I have a business to run." The Lora moved from the tree and nudged the Once-ler's calf with his furry orange elbow.

"I bet I don't get your heart racing as much as that little slice," he said with a raise of his eyebrows. The Once-ler blushed a deep red but ignored the Lorax's comment.

"I have work to do," he called over his shoulder as he marched back to his house.

A few months later…

Norma let out a high-pitched gasp as he entered her. The bark of the Truffula tree scratching her back and the feel of the Once-ler's fingers gripping her hips made her moan against his mouth. She dug her heels into his back trying to bring him even closer if it was possible. He thrust into her a final time as he gasped her name and she cried out, "Oh, Oncie."

The Once-ler gently lowered Norma to the ground and she giggle as the grass tickled her feet. He smiled at her then bent down to pull up his pants.

"Norma, I've added on to my house would you like to move in with me?" he said when he stood back up.

"Are you just asking because I've caught you with your pants down?" she said with a giggle reaching out to pull up his zipper.

"I'm asking because I want to be able to see you every day," he said as he dropped a kiss on her nose.

"Ok," she answered. "I think I would like that."

"Good," he said with a smile as he wrapped his long fingers around her hand. "Come on. I have something for you"

When they reached his newly renovated house, he pulled her into his new larger bedroom. He dropped her hand and began to rummage around in the drawer of his bedside table. He pulled out a rectangular box. When he opened it for her, a pearl necklace shined back. She could easily tell the pearls were real. They were too luminescent to be anything fake.

"Oh it is beautiful, but I…I can't accept this. It is too much, really," Norma said apologetically pushing the necklace case back into his hands.

"No! It's not." He took the necklace from the box, letting the box drop to the floor. He moved behind Norma and fastened it around her neck. "I want to give you nice things because you mean so much to me. Let me show you the best way I know how." Norma fingered the necklace. Each pearl was smooth and cool against her skin. She still had misgivings, but before she could voice them, his lips were on hers, and all her thoughts flew out the window.

A few years later…

The Once-ler sat at his huge desk looking over recent sales figures when he heard a knock on the door. "Go away. I am busy," he called.

"It's me," responded Norma. _Damn it._

"I said I am busy" he yelled again, but she was already opening the door. She clutched a suitcase in her hand.

"I really wish you hadn't added an office here. The factory is one thing, but since you have an office here, you never leave work. I never get to see you," she said sadly.

"Do you not like all of this?" He motioned to finery around the room, mahogany furniture, plush carpets, brocade drapes. "Because of this office, you can have all of this."

"I told you I liked the house how it was. It was homey. This… this is gloomy and sterile. It doesn't even feel like someone lives here."

"I'm just trying to provide us with the best," he said in tone which she recognized as his signal that the conversation was over. Exasperated, she motioned to the red, formfitting, silk dress she wore.

"The best? Oncie, I don't need this. This isn't me. I like to be comfortable." He ignored her, so she continued. "I really think you need to stop this. You are destroying everything."

"I think you know very well that isn't going to happen. Besides how bad can I be?"

"I don't know, Oncie. I feel like I don't know you very well anymore."

"I'm making money so we can have everything we ever wanted."

"I already had everything I ever wanted." The Once-ler looked at Norma puzzled. He didn't understand. She rolled her glistening eyes and attempted a chuckle but it came out slightly choked. "You, stupid. You are all I ever wanted." She dropped her suitcase and crossed the room. She moved behind the desk and grasped his face in one hand and pulled him up by his green striped tie. She crashed her lips down on his with a finality that made him feel a tug at the back of his stomach. He stood from his chair never breaking their kiss. He reached toward her hips and pulled her closer to him. As the passion built between them, he slipped his hands around to her bum, but suddenly, she dropped her hands and took a step back. "No, I'm sorry. I can't keep doing this," she whispered. She turned her back to him and picked up her suitcase as she headed toward the door.

"Norma…" he called out helplessly after her.

"You know," she said with a sigh turning to face him. "A small part of me still hopes you are better than this, and honestly, green isn't your color." She gave him one last small, sad smile, as the she exited his new fancily furnished room letting the door click shut behind her.

"She's right you know," the now familiar voice of the Lorax rang around the high ceiling room. He was sitting in the windowsill looking out at the gray tinted sky.

"About my suit? Please, just leave me alone," the Once-ler said as he sat at his desk, letting his head fall into his hands.

"You should really go after her," the Lorax continued.

"I said leave me alone," the Once-ler growled but kept his head down.

"She's a special girl. They don't make them like that anymore. You were lucky to have her, and she loves trees…".

"Shut up!" The Once-ler yelled as he swiped everything off his desk. He slammed both his fists on the dark wood. "Shut the hell up." The Lorax stood in silence for a moment. His bushy eyebrows raised in surprise. The Once-ler turned his back because he couldn't tolerate the hurt he say in the Lorax's eyes. It looked too much like the hurt in Norma's eyes.

"Fine. I'll leave, too," the Lorax finally responded following in Norma's footsteps.

Many, many years later…

"You know I always believed in you. I just don't know why it took you so damn long to believe in yourself. My grandson is smarter than you and he has barely lived a decade," a voice called to him. The Once-ler turned to see _her _standing in his small garden of Truffula trees.

"Your… your grandson?" he asked with a slight cough of surprise. The boy's round brown eyes had seemed so familiar.

"Yes, Ted's my grandson," Norma beamed with pride.

"He is a marvelous boy," the Once-ler rasped.

"Thank you. I know," Norma responded slowly taking his hand in hers.

As always, reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading. :)


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